Avionics systems located on an aircraft can be used to determine optimal or enhanced operating states for the aircraft based on various operating conditions and other parameters. For instance, data indicative of engine operating modes, flight path information, engine power settings (e.g., thrust setting, fuel flow, etc.), altitude, trim conditions, weight, and other operating parameters can be used to determine control commands, such as speed and/or altitude of an aircraft, to reduce the cost of conducting a flight. The aircraft can be controlled in accordance with the determined control commands to increase efficiency.
Thus, conventional approaches for reducing aircraft operating costs can include selecting control commands that reduce direct operating cost based on a model of the aircraft performance. For example, a Flight Management System (FMS) typically employs a cost function that considers the cost of fuel and the time-related cost to operate the airplane to determine the most efficient control commands that are input to the flight control system for a specified mission.